Brassiere pad



, 0v. 2, 1943. L. H. MIDDLECOFF 2,3394% BRASS IERE PADS Filed Aug. 25, 1941 Patented Nov. 2, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relatesv to improvements in brassiere pads and has especial relation to pads for use with any of the usual types of brassieres now on the market. It further relates to such pads for use with bathing suits or the like.

Brassieres have made great strides in appearance and also in improving the appearance of the female figure under many conditions.

The present brassieres have an under'portion adapted to support the underside of the breasts and an upper or covering portion overlying the upper half of the breasts. Where the breasts are firm, as in youth, the use of a brassiere rounds up the breasts and steadies them, adding much attraction to the figure. Where, however, the breasts have become flabby the supporting effect is still extremely advantageous, but the uplift has a tendency to crowd the top front portion of the breasts upward causing bulges which to a certain extent accentuate the sag of the upper breast portions adjacent the body, more or less defeating the purpose which their use was intended to serve. To compensate for this pads have been used, these pads being ordinarily lozenge shaped in cross section, that is thick in the middle and thinning out, usually along curved lines, toward the peripheral edges, such pads being adapted to fill the enlarged depression created by the upward front bulge and without doubt improving the situation, but creating usually a double pair of bulges and an abrupt dubbing off where the breasts join the body that is of artificial rather than natural appearance. Also these bulging pads have been carried to the extent of full replacement where breasts have been removed, but such structures have nothing in common with the present device.

The objects of my invention are: v

To make a pad which will rearwardly displace the front bulge into and cause it to fill-up the sag closer to the body and which in addition will smooth up and firm up the upper surface of the breast from the tip to the body line thereby substantially restoring the natural and desired contours of the breast and greatly improving the youthful appearance and feel of the figure.

To make a, pad which so smooths and evens up the upper contour of the breast as to sub stantially defy detection by observance or touch.

I accomplish these objects by making a thin pad of substantially uniform thickness throughout, except at and along the peripheral edges where the covering materials -of the pad are brought together, preferably bound, and fastened together as by stitching, affording blending edges of minor extent which obliterate any abruptness which even the minor thickness of the pad might have had. Y

The means by which I accomplish these and other objects and the manner of their accom- -plishment will readily be understood from the following specification upon reference to the ac companying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a brassiere on the person of a wearer with dotted lines indicating the lower lines and inner ends of the pads.

Fig. 2 is a, sectional elevation taken as on the line IIII of Fig. 1 showing in dotted lines the contour effected by the uplifting action of the lower portion of the brassire and in full lines the smoothing out of the contour accomplished by the use ofthe pad.

Fig. 3 is an enlargedfragmentary view showing the edge construction of the pad; and

Fig. 4 a fragmentary developed view of the underside of the brassire looking in the direction of the arrow 4 of Fig. 3 showing the general outline of the upper portion of the brassiere with one of the pads fitted and secured in place.

Referring now to the drawing in which the various parts are indicated by numerals:

The brass'ire shown includes a belt portion H, such as is used in certain types of brassieres,

but is often only a narrow strap; uplift sections l3, l5 and corresponding middle section or gore 2|, a back tions 23, and supporting straps 25, 21 for the upper sections l1, l9 respectively. It will be understood here that the brassiere construction shown is intended to be typical only of a brassire,'a'nd is not in any way a limiting or' controlling one.

The uplift sections l3 and I5, 'as the section l3 in Fig. 3, press against and uplift'or raise.

and support the under sides 29 of the breasts. This raising action tends to be greatest at the tip where there is less resistance and has a tendency to over-raise the upper front and form a bulge 3l-A and to accentuate the sag of the upper portion adjacent the body as shown by the dotted line til-B, the bulge ordinarily being also slightly displaced inwardly toward the center of the body.

The upper or top lines, as the lines l'I-A, ll-B of the section I! of the brassire have the usual upward conformation, outward from the middle section 2 I, and inward from the outer side, meeting in an apex |1-C at the point of strap attachment.

The upper sections l1 and I9, though not thus upper sections IT, IS; a

section or sec shown in Fig. 3, would and do sag into conformity with the sag 3l-B, established, and/or accentuated, bythe uplift with to say the least far from graceful contour.

To meet this situation I make a thin substantially flat pad 33, comprising a filler 35 of resilient fibrous material covered on its opposite faces usually with light cloth covers 31, which for expensive types may be silk or satin andas ornateas desired.

Where the pads are to be used with a bathing suit they will preferably be covered with oil cloth, thin rubber or other water-proof material. The filler extends close to the edges of the pad and may feather out along a narrow adjacent zone. The cloth is brought together and secured as by stitching 39. As shown in Fig. 3 a narrow ribbon or tape 4| may be folded over the edge as a binder and the stitching done through the tape.

The pads are preferably the same on both sides so that they may be turned with either face toward the brassiere and right and lefts not be necessary. Each pad has an upper edge 43 which is adapted to be conformingly secured as along the brassiere top edge I'|--A from the apex ll-C inward about three fourths of the distance toward the brassiere center, an outer end edge 45 diverging at a flatly obtuse angle to conformingly lie along the brassire edge "-3 outward from the apex, and of length to extend adjacent the outer end of the section II, an opposite end edge. 41 diverging at a slightly obtuse angle from the inner end of the edge 43 and extending downwardly somewhat below the top of the uplift section l3 adjacent the gore 2|,- and a convexly curved lower edge 49 joining the bottoms of the ends 45 and 41.

said upper edge substantially to the inner edge of the related uplift portion below the upper edge of such portion, and an inner end edge joining the inner ends of said upper and lower pad edges, said lower edge intermediate its length being spaced from said upper edge to substantially traverse the tip of therelated breast; said pads substantially entirely covering upper breast portions only; whereby said pads are adapted to rearwardly displace upward bulges adjacent the tips of the breasts, caused by raising action of said uplift portions, and to smooth and even out the upper contours of the breasts.

2. In a. brassiere which includes breast uplifting sections and complementary upper or covering sections, thin substantially flat pads,

' filled with resilient material; each said pad re- The pads may be built in as apart of the brassiere or they may be securely fastened therein as by stitching. Preferably, however, they are loose and removable and are secured to the brassiere as by small safety pins 5|, though snap fasteners or buttons and button holes may be.

made use of.

I claim: 1. In a brassiere which includes breast uplifting portions and complementary upper or covering portions, thin substantiallyflat pads, each respectively secured behind a said upper portion; said pads each havingan upper edge shaped to lie along substantially the entire top edge of said upper portion, from its outer end into adiacency with. its inner end, a lower, arcuately convexed, edge extending from the outer end of its spectively being secured behind a said upper section, each pad having an upper edge shaped to lie along the top edge of its said upper section and extending the major portion of thelength thereof, a lower edge extending from the outer end of 'its said upper edge substantially to the inner edge of the related uplift section below the upper edge of such section, and an inner end edge connecting the inner ends of said upper and lower edges; said lower pad edge, intermediate its length, being spaced from said upper edge to lie immediately adjacent the tip of the related breast; whereby said pads are adapted to rearwardly displace upward bulges adjacent the tips of the breasts, caused by raising action of said uplift sections, and to smooth and even out the upper contours of the breasts,

3. In a brassire which includes breast uplifting portions and complementary upper or covering portions, thin pads of resilient material, substantially uniform in thickness throughout, each respectively secured to and behind .a said upper portion, and adapted to be held thereby in covering contact with substantially the upper half only of asaid breast; said pads each respectively having an upper edge shaped to lie along the top' edgeof a said upper portion of said brassiere, substantially from its outer side to adjacency with its inner side, and a lower, arcuately convexed edge, spaced intermediate its length from said upper edge to substantially traverse the tip of the related breast; and being adapted to rearwardly displace upward bulges adjacent the tip of the'breast caused by raising action of said uplift portions and to smoothand even out the upper contours of the breast. p

- LUCILLE n; IUDDLECOFF. 

